Irmeli Tarmo sells home and art in Kouvola after husband’s death

Eighty-year-old Irmeli Tarmo, a visual artist from Kouvola, is selling her home, which also serves as her studio, following the death of her husband. Unable to maintain the house alone, she is now faced with the task of emptying the building for sale, resulting in the decision to sell all her art supplies and artwork.

“This is tough, putting my lifetime’s work up for sale, but it’s the situation I’m in now. I’m calling it an ‘Artist’s Flea Market’ to lighten this tragedy. I don’t want potential buyers to feel sorry for me,” Tarmo commented. She has been creating art since the 1960s and has showcased her work in numerous exhibitions both in Finland and abroad.

As the sale of the house progresses, Tarmo has made a difficult decision regarding unsold pieces: if they do not sell quickly, they will be destroyed. “I’ve seen my works in buy-sell shops collecting dust and the frames replaced with poor quality ones. I don’t want that fate for my art,” she explained. Initially, the thought of destroying her creations was heartbreaking but she has come to accept it. “A carpenter can come here with a jigsaw and cut them down to the size of a book cover. Then, off to the waste truck and landfill—that’s how their journey ends, grand and once and for all,” Tarmo stated.

After selling her home, Tarmo plans to relocate to Italy, a place she fell in love with during her studies. “I’m not going to a nursing home; I’ll pack my bags and move to the village of Grassina near Florence, which has artist communities.” Currently, she is working on an exhibition titled “The Paris Agreement,” focusing on nature and the effects of climate change, including documenting dried rivers and flood zones.